Gazelle - When to Buy Your Child a Cell Phone

Making the decision to purchase a cell phone for your child can be one of the toughest decisions that a parent must make. Sure, a cell phone increases the channels of communication between you and your child, but it is also the first step on a very long path towards ultimate independence. Gazelle, the nation's leading electronics trade-in site, has put together some points to consider when trying to make this decision.

Safety: Parents like the peace of mind that comes from being able to have a direct line to their children at all times. There are also apps available that allow for GPS tracking of phones in case the child isn’t responding to calls or text messages.

Family Communication: Besides communication to know kids’ whereabouts, cell phones may help parents stay in better contact with their child, leading to a constant stream of dialogue that isn’t always available when a parent is working long hours. Most cell phone users are more honest via text than over the phone, a 2012 study by the University of Michigan suggests. So if you really want to know if your tween has a boyfriend, maybe she will tell you over text when other communication methods have failed.

Bonding: For parents who travel often or families that just have a hectic schedule, playing in social games via phones can be a great way to get in some extra bonding time. An intense game of Words With Friends may help kids feel more connected to their parents.

Building Trust: The privilege of giving a cell phone to your child has some serious implications: It shows him or her that you are trusting them to make good choices with how it is used. While some parents monitor their children’s cell phones, the fact remains that the gift of a phone for kids will be appreciated and may even show them that parents can be cool–sometimes.

And then there is the ever present possibility that handing over this expensive device, it will get dropped, cracked or take an unfortunate bath. Rather than scrap your sweet one's scrambled smartphone, check out Gazelle. Gazelle is a website that buys used electronics for cash, even damaged ones! More than 600,000 consumers have used Gazelle to sell nearly one million gadgets. Gazelle offers trade ins for everything from smartphones to laptops to e-readers... the list goes on. Gazellecan't return your smartphone to its former glory, but they can give another life to your used iPhone by refurbishing it for another buyer, keeping it out of the landfill and giving you money in return. Better for you, better for the environment, better for everyone!